‘60,000 Brits’ are thinking of moving to Oz after being wooed with the prospect of more sun, cash and SEX – with Aussie minister bragging: ‘We are the new Love Island’
- Paul Papalia aims to recruit 30,000 to work in Western Australia’s public sector
- Top targets are police officers, nurses and teachers
Thousands of Brits are considering moving to Australia after being wooed with the prospect of more sun, cash and sex.
So far 60,000 are said to have shown an interest, with Australian minister Paul Papalia bragging: ‘We are the new Love Island.’
Papalia is leading a delegation of West Australians on a nine-day tour of the UK, with the aim of recruiting 30,000 Brits to work in the state’s public sector across a range of industries, including the police force, hospitals and hospitality.
The delegation is also seeking to hire doctors, teachers and civil engineers.
Papalia said: ‘If you’re a single Brit, come on out because you might not be single for long.’
Papalia is leading a delegation of West Australians on a nine-day tour of the UK, with the aim of recruiting 30,000 Brits to work in the state’s public sector across a range of industries, including the police force, hospitals and hospitality
Pictured: Woman on beach (file photo). Papalia said: ‘If you’re a single Brit, come on out because you might not be single for long’
Speaking of the country’s draws, he said: ‘It’s lower cost of living, higher wages and magnificent weather. What’s not to like?’
One of the King’s policemen on duty outside Horse Guards Parade was reportedly tempted by a bumper starting salary of £51,000 per annum.
Papalia said the nation is ‘getting our own back’ after decades of Aussies moving to Britain.
He said: ‘You took some of our best and brightest. And there was never that question in regards to us losing our young ones to the UK.’
Recruiting new police is a particular concern for Papalia.
He is charged with completing an election commitment to recruit 950 more officers to the WA Police Force on 2021 levels.
At present there are 6,811 police officers – 300 fewer than 2021 levels.
Pictured: Hillarys Beach in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia
Papalia told The Times newspaper he was shocked by the resourcing issues the UK police is facing, along with the pay disparity.
‘The wages [in the UK] are far lower, the conditions are worse and resourcing appears to be far worse. So there’s all manner of reasons why [WA is] more attractive,’ he said.
More than 800 British police officers have applied for jobs in Australia, The Times reports.
Recruits, who are required to have at least three years’ experience, will start on around £50,000, compared with £30,000 for a UK constable with five years’ experience.
The first intake is expected to start training in September.
At the end of June 2020, almost 1.2 million people who were born in the UK were living in Australia, 1.3 per cent (15,220) less than June 30, 2010, according to the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs.
The department said this makes it the largest migrant community in Australia, equivalent to 15.3 per cent of Australia’s overseas-born population and 4.6 per cent of Australia’s total population.
Males accounted for 50.8 per cent of Australia’s UK-born migrants. The median age of 57.9 years was 20.2 years above that of the general population.
